matt15 wrote:I'm in the downtown Des Plaines area. I was hoping to go no more than 10-20 mins away if possible. I want real smoked BBQ, not parboiled.

Matt,

There are a few BBQ places in your general are. Of these listed, I have personally eaten at Uncle Bub's and Sweet Baby Ray's, both of which reach my personal minimum standard to be called BBQ and would do, in a pinch, for the BBQ deprived.

If I was you I would take EatChicago's advice and take the drive to Honey 1.

Have you been to Romano's Pizza in Des Plains? I quite like their pizza.

Thanks everybody, I have tried Romano's and liked it alot. I also went to Paradise Pup the other day and had two wonderful Char-Pups with all the fixins! The line was out the door but well worth the wait.

Matt, since you are from out of town, and were looking for someplace within 20 minutes, I thought I might help you refine your search. Gary has recommended several places, but all but one fall outside your time limits.

Salt Creek BBQ closed at 4PM.
Uncle Bubs, in Westmont is 21 miles away from downtown DP
BBQ shack, in St. Charles is 36 miles away
Sweet Baby Rays, in Wood Dale is 12 miles away
Texas BBQ, in Lombard is 20 miles away.

BobbyQ's is much closer at only five miles. Located in a strip mall on Rand Road, it is easy to get to from Des Plaines. Be sure to check out their soups and stew.

While doing research, I missed the suggestion that you try the highly regarded, by some, Honey1. But I think that it might also be a bit outside your 20 minute driving range. It is a bit over 16 miles from you, but is just south of the Western Avenue exit from the Kennedy Expressway. Having lived in Chicago most of my life, I think you could make it in 20 minutes, in the dead of night, with no cops.

If you're heading towards the Schaumburg/Woodfield mall area, there are 2 places of interest:

Russell's BBQ (don't know if it's related to the the Elmwood Park restaurant)
on Algonquin Road and Smokey Bones Sports bar which is right next to the Woodfield mall. Russell's has had some positive reviews elsewhere on Metromix and the Yelp web sites. I tried it once and wasn't impressed. I enjoyed the Smokey Bones ribs at a local ribfest so I haven't actually set foot in their eatery. Smokey Bones supposedly uses hickory wood. If you're in the area, I would try Smokey Bones.

Try Andrew's Open Pit in Park Ridge, just a short 10 mintue drive from Des Plaines. No one has mentioned this place on LTH before and I posted my views on it a few weeks ago but never got any response. These are real smoked ribs...you can see the rotisserie right in the main dining area. They smoke them over hickory, and the sauce is above average in my opinion. Andrew's is in a strip mall that looks like something from the late 70's which is why I think it hasn't gotten a lot of pub, but I think it's a good find!!

I'll second that -- in fact I thought I'd reviewed it here or on Chowhound about two years ago (hmm... I guess that would be Chowhound then), but I can't find it.

Places I've enjoyed BBQ in the burbs are limited. Bobby Q's has been OK, Boston Blackie's pulled pork sandwich is pretty good (but it's Carson's BBQ sauce, so that explains it -- not so much excellence as familiarity).

There's probably a market for it out there. Hey, at least the north side of Chicago's BBQ has heated up in the last couple years, we may get it out here in soccer-mom-land yet.

What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

On Northwest Highway in Park Ridge is JD Kadds.They do Hickory Smoked Ribs, Tips, St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork & Beef Brisket.They are also well known in the area for pizza & broasted chicken. It's a small place with loads of flavor. I have seen them on WGN TV that's how I found them.

netned wrote:On Northwest Highway in Park Ridge is JD Kadds.They do Hickory Smoked Ribs, Tips, St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork & Beef Brisket.They are also well known in the area for pizza & broasted chicken. It's a small place with loads of flavor. I have seen them on WGN TV that's how I found them.

Haven't been, but based on their location (Park Ridge is 10 minutes from Des Plaines; actually, I think they share a border) they are certainly convenient enough to someone in Des Plaines. As tapler notes, looking at their website, this place might do the trick for the OP. They advertise 12- to 16-hour smoking of ribs, brisket, etc. That's for the top 10-percentile (or is it bottom?) of BBQ snobs and weirdos. They also advertise "slow roasted" ribs for the other 90% -- i.e., the right-thinking, decent and regular folks -- so it looks like they have all bases covered. Anybody other than netned have an opinion? How does JD Kadds compare to other BBQ and/or non-BBQ rib outlets in Chicagoland?

Bobby-Q's has gone way down..its was not too bad but then they closed down for a month or so..Since they re-opened the food went downhill..
I cant believee its the same owner
Uncle Bubs would be my top pick of the burbs for restauarant BBQ ..Sweet Baby Rays was mediocre and overpriced

netned wrote:On Northwest Highway in Park Ridge is JD Kadds.They do Hickory Smoked Ribs, Tips, St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork & Beef Brisket.They are also well known in the area for pizza & broasted chicken. It's a small place with loads of flavor. I have seen them on WGN TV that's how I found them.

Haven't been, but based on their location (Park Ridge is 10 minutes from Des Plaines; actually, I think they share a border) they are certainly convenient enough to someone in Des Plaines. As tapler notes, looking at their website, this place might do the trick for the OP. They advertise 12- to 16-hour smoking of ribs, brisket, etc. That's for the top 10-percentile (or is it bottom?) of BBQ snobs and weirdos. They also advertise "slow roasted" ribs for the other 90% -- i.e., the right-thinking, decent and regular folks -- so it looks like they have all bases covered. Anybody other than netned have an opinion? How does JD Kadds compare to other BBQ and/or non-BBQ rib outlets in Chicagoland?

Iam very intrigued too - has anyone ever been? Anyone have a report?

I agree with the proximity to Des Plaines BTW - Park Ridge and Des Plaines
*do* share a border. Most of the options suggested above in the
thread are pretty much useless - they are all much much further than
20 minutes away I mean, Saint Charles? Westmont? Not even in the
middle of the night can you get there in 20 minutes, surely?

Heck, depending where you are in Des Plaines... if youre close to
Golf Road, Id suggest taking a quick ride straight down Golf, to
the original Hecky's in Evanston. Much closer than places like
Saint Charles, for sure.

Joel, based on where you live, rather than going all the way into the city, to get your axe sharpened, you might want to try the Mount Prospect Market on Sunday Mornings. Not much of a market, but there is a professional knife sharpener there, and he normally charges a buck or two per blade.